Giancarlo Stanton says he's prepared for New York-level scrutiny  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Giancarlo Stanton said he is prepared for the scrutiny he will attract during his first season with the New York Yankees.  —  “The good times will be magnified and so will the bad,” the slugger said Wednesday.

Mets concerned about Zack Wheeler, whose spot is in jeopardy  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Zack Wheeler is the logical choice to start the season in the Mets rotation if Jason Vargas isn't ready, but he is not a slam dunk.  —  Privately, Mets officials were concerned about Wheeler's last exhibition start …

Is ‘bullpenning’ MLB's best path to 27 outs - or a gateway to ‘mediocrity’?  —  Finding the best path to 27 outs is perhaps baseball's most evolving and enduring puzzle.  Yet in many quarters, a permanent solution appears at hand.  —  “Some form of bullpenning,” Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto …

Arizona Diamondbacks spring training - 2018 … Perhaps the biggest story line throughout Diamondbacks spring training is the race to see who will be closing games for the team in 2018.  —  But the Diamondbacks relievers don't seem to be too concerned about it.  —  Take newly acquired right-hander Brad Boxberger for example.

Cubs' Darvish limits former club to 3 hits over 6 innings  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Yu Darvish looked as if he would stumble on the mound, yet still managed to unleash a pitch that struck out Drew Robinson of the Rangers.  —  “I got off-balance,” Darvish said through a translator.

Aaron Judge hits two HRs, hitting his stride as Yankees opener nears  —  TAMPA, Fla. - Aaron Judge is getting that let's-start-the-season-already feeling.  —  “I feel ready to go,” Judge said after belting two home runs in Wednesday night's 9-4 Yankees win against the Orioles at Steinbrenner Field.

Detroit Tigers lose to Braves, 3-2, in Francisco Liriano's up-and-down night … At Champion Stadium, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.  —  What happened: The Detroit Tigers lost, 3-2, to the Atlanta Braves. ....  The Tigers took a 1- lead in the first after Leonys Martin had a leadoff double and scored …

Rays' catchers using wristbands amid rotation experiment  —  PORT CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Major League Baseball made game-calling more difficult for catchers this winter when it changed the rules governing mound visits.  For backstops with the Tampa Bay Rays, things got even trickier …

Cardinals bringing back ‘biggest arm in camp’ for Grapefruit debut  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • The Cardinals expected everything about Jordan Hicks' spring training to be quick — his fastball, his rise, his athleticism — everything except for his exit.  —  The pitcher who manager Mike Matheny referred …

D-backs' Zack Greinke throws 60 pitches in return from groin injury  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — An even quieter than usual Zack Greinke declared his return to the mound Wednesday as simply “all right.”  —  The Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander threw 60 pitches in an intrasquad game on a back field at the team's spring training facility.

Rays nearing decision on Venters  —  Yankees second baseman Neil Walker was headed to the batting cage Monday for a little pre-batting practice when he was stopped and asked what, if anything, did he remember from his two career at-bats against Jonny Venters.  —  “He was filthy,” Walker, hitless in those at-bats, said.

Brewers — including Hank as The Beast — re-enact ‘The Sandlot’ in video  —  Even before the start of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers have their first hit.  —  Milwaukee released a 2-minute, 35-second video celebrating the 25th anniversary of the movie “The Sandlot” last weekend …

A's shut down A.J. Puk with biceps issue  —  PHOENIX - A.J. Puk, the prized prospect projected to be in the A's rotation at some point this season, has been shut down with biceps soreness, according to a source.  —  Puk received an MRI and there is no indication that the left-hander …